Speaking at a recent press conference of her decision to leave the show, Sedgwick said, " It just felt like time, mostly for me as an artist, time for me to do something else. There really wasn’t an epiphany. It was just the idea of doing a Season 8 I think felt daunting to me and overwhelming, and sort of just didn’t feel right. I think as an actor you really kind of just have to follow your instincts," according to The Christian Science Monitor.

Dropping hints about the final six episodes, Sedgwick said, "I would say it’s a dramatic ending, but there’s a really fun romp in the second episode of the final six. And yes, there’s always an element of humor. I don’t think we could do our job as well as we do if we didn’t have an element of humor. I mean, there’s always a gallows-humor within, but there’s also just the interpersonal, recognizable things about each other that you have when you’re with a family or a cast a long time."

Last Friday, Sedgwick, who along with husband Kevin Bacon lost money in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, told Piers Morgan, "I see him as a sick man. And I see us as adults who made a choice," according to CNN.

"I see a lot of people that are so much worse off than we are. And I think that, you know, $%!* happens," she said, adding, "He has a horrible life at this point."

The Boston Herald noted that "The Closer" was an instant hit in 2005 and earned an Emmy for Sedgwick in 2010. Most of the cast will feature in the spinoff series "Major Crimes," which starts in August.